Subaru 2006 Legacy - Manual (Page 245)

7-6
Starting and operating
State emission testing (U.S.
only)
At state inspection time, remember to
tell your inspection or service station
in advance not to place your SUBARU
AWD vehicle on a two-wheel dyna-
mometer. Otherwise, serious transmis-
sion damage will result.
Some states have started using dyna-
mometers in their state inspection pro-
grams in order to meet their obligation un-
der federal law to implement stricter vehi-
cle emission standards to reduce air pollu-
tion from vehicles. A dynamometer is a
treadmill or roller-like testing device that
allows your vehicle’s wheels to turn while
the vehicle remains in one place. Depend-
ing on the severity of a state’s air pollution
problems, the states must adopt either a
“basic” or “enhanced” vehicle emission in-
spection test. Normally, a portion of the
basic emission test consists of an emis-
sion inspector inserting an analyzer probe
into the exhaust pipe of an idling vehicle
for a short period of time. States with more
severe air pollution problems are required
to adopt an enhanced vehicle emission
test. This test simulates actual driving
conditions on a dynamometer and permits
more accurate measurement of tailpipe
emitted pollution than the basic emission
test.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agen-
cy (EPA) and states using two-wheel dy-
namometers in their emission testing pro-
grams have EXEMPTED SUBARU AWD
vehicles from the portion of the testing
program that involves a two-wheel dyna-
mometer.
There are some states that use four-wheel
dynamometers in their testing programs.
When properly used, that equipment will
not damage an AWD SUBARU vehicle.
y Always use a genuine SUBARU
fuel filler cap. If you use the wrong
cap, it may not fit or have proper
venting, and your fuel tank and
emission control system might be
damaged.
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehi-
cle must NEVER be performed on a
single two-wheel dynamometer. At-
tempting to do so will result in un-
controlled vehicle movement and
may cause an accident or injuries to
persons nearby.
Resultant vehicle damage due to im-
proper testing is not covered under
the SUBARU Limited Warranty and
is the responsibility of the state in-
spection program or its contractors
or licensees.